Black Girl, White Girl

Henry and Emmy Tibbett have fond memories of Tampica, a Caribbean island that has recently declared independence, throwing off the colonial yoke. But according to Lucy, the Tibbetts’ (very) old friend who lives on Tampica, the island has exchanged one set of shackles for another: The new government, she says, is hopelessly corrupt, and Tampica has become a haven for drug smugglers, particularly those specializing in cocaine, known locally as “white girl.” Could Henry possibly come and poke around, see if there’s any way to return Tampica to the innocent tropical paradise it was in her youth? Henry’s happy to poke, but before he’s done poking, an awful lot of innocence will be tested and found wanting.